Microbiological analysis of unprocessed and processed milk with its public health significance: a case study of Buldana district

Abstract

Milk is an important food of diet of vast population on earth, due to its high nutritional value for human beings. Milk can originate even from clinically healthy animals from which milk is derived or from environmental contamination occurring during collection, processing, transportation and storage of milk. So we focus on microbial analysis of processed and raw milks which are sold in Buldana district from various rural milk venders and milk dairies. The milk samples were collected that is, raw milk and pasteurized milk during the months of June-November, 2011. Individual milk samples were analyzed by standard plate count, presence of total coliform and faecal coliform. Bacteria were present with presence of yeast and mould in both processed and raw milk. Our results indicate that the majority of unprocessed milk was of poor microbiological quality with presence of total coliform and faecal coliform. While in the processed milk was low contamination with presence of total coliform and faecal coliform. So, the consumption of un-boiled and unprocessed raw milk is also health hazard due to contamination with pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, S. aureus and S. typhi . The attempt was made to inform public health risk assessments that evaluate the microbiological safety of pasteurized and raw milk. The study indicates that addition of water to milk is most common adulterant which not only reduces the nutritional value of milk but contaminated water may also health risks to the consumers.